• Loading stock data...
Thursday, November 14, 2024

Spill the Wine: NFL Clubs Pushing Team-Branded Wine Collections

A bottle of white, a bottle of red. Perhaps a bottle of team-branded NFL wine instead?

As the NFL prepares to kick off its historic 100th season, teams such as the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and New York Jets are marketing their own wine collections to fans.

Beer and football have long gone hand-in-hand, but shifts in drinking habits mean you’re increasingly likely to see someone enjoying a Cabernet Sauvignon at a game instead of a Coors Light.

That’s being pushed by younger consumers, who are now more likely to ditch beers for lower-calorie wines, spirits, and hard seltzers. U.S. drinkers now choose beer less than half the time, according to the Beer Institute. That’s down from over 60% in the mid-1990s.

Also, as a team’s fan base become more diverse, so too does its drink offerings.

For example, the Indianapolis Colts’ fan base now skews almost 50-50 male/female, according to Roger VanDerSnick, the team’s chief sales, and marketing officer. Selling a “Colts Wine Collection” marks a “logical next step,” he said. 

“Not everyone drinks wine, clearly. But not everyone drinks wine or spirits either. The volume isn’t perhaps as high as malt beverages. But it still a meaningful overlap,” said VanDerSnick.

The Colts team collection by André Hueston Mack, a master winemaker at Maison Noir Wines, has something for everyone. 

If you revere ex-Colts QB Peyton Manning, there’s a limited edition No. 18 bottle autographed by the man himself for $400. If your tastes are less expensive, you can buy a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon celebrating the Colts’ 35th year in Indianapolis for $19.95.

nfl-wine-jets-colts-panthers

Manning’s not the only sports personality with a wine connection, noted VanDerSnick. Everybody from ex-quarterbacks Dan Marino and Joe Montana to Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson and Jim Nantz of CBS Sports have their own wine labels. 

Who can forget the image of LeBron James showing up at a Los Angeles Lakers game sipping a glass of red wine?

“If you look broadly across all sports, you’ll see athletes who have acquired a passion for wine and are doing more and more endorsements for it,” added VanDerSnick.

There are other reasons why more NFL teams are getting into wine, said Ralph Ockenfels, vice president of corporate sponsorships for the Titans.

The franchise’s limited release red wine last year gave it a unique way to celebrate its 20th season in Nashville. It was such a hit with fans and retailers the Titans are selling it again this season.

The Titans sell their label to 70,000 fans on game day. The brand is also served to club seat holders and suite-holders at Nissan Stadium. So fans who sample it in-stadium can purchase it at retail, where a bottle of “TN Titans Red Blend” sells for $19.99. 

nfl-wine-jets-colts-panthers

“Once they try it on game day, they’re like, ‘Wow, this is great, I can go out to retail and pick it up,’” said Ockenfels. “For us, from a branding standpoint, it’s great to be at retail throughout the state of Tennessee.”

Team-branded wines also make a nice, take-home “keepsake” for sponsors and corporate partners.  The Titans, for example, gifted plenty of team-branded vino to key league stakeholders during this spring’s 2019 NFL Draft in Music City.

Like the Titans, the Panthers and Jets are pegging their wines around important team anniversaries.

The “Carolina Panthers Reserve” celebrates the expansion team’s 25th anniversary. Prices range from $19.99 for a single bottle to $119.94 for a half case.

The “Jets Uncorked Championship Reserve” celebrates the 50th anniversary of the team’s upset victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III. The California red wine sells for $24.99 through the tri-state area.

Dean Blandino On Entrepreneurship And Future Of Officiating

Dean Blandino has parlayed his career in NFL officiating into off-the-field success…
August 21, 2019

NFL teams have always been masters at pushing everything from sweatshirts to cuff links bearing team logos, according to George Solomon, the former Washington Post sports editor who became the first director of the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland. 

Team wines are just the latest example. 

“Why not? They’ll do anything they can to make a buck,” Solomon said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL TV Ratings Up Big on Major Networks, but There’s a Caveat

This NFL season has been marked by new media trends.

Will Drew Brees Get a Second Chance on TV?

Brees was unsuccessful in his first TV stint, but wants another shot.

Bears Revisiting Another Lakefront Location for New Stadium

The site is about 2.5 miles south of Soldier Field.

Chiefs-Bills Clash Could Set Ratings High, and CBS Is Going Big

CBS is set to broadcast “The NFL Today” on-site from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Is Jerry Jones Holding the Cowboys Back?

0:00

Featured Today

Former President Donald Trump waves to the crowd as he exits the putting green with his aide Walt Nauta, left, during the final round of the LIV Golf Bedminster golf tournament at Trump National Bedminster on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023.
opinion

Trump Win Puts Sports Back in the White House

With Trump back in the White House, sports get more political again.
Members of the NY Giants run onto the field to start the game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.
November 8, 2024

The NFL Is Becoming the League With No Borders

Where will the NFL go next? International expansion will only get bigger.
November 5, 2024

NFL Center Connor McGovern Is the Heir to a Potato Empire

The NFL vet’s family provides potatoes for McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and others.
Vanderbilt Commodores fans head to the south end zone as the goal post is taken down by exuberant fans after beating No. 1 Alabama 40-35 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
opinion
November 2, 2024

Something New in College Football This Year: Parity

Upsets, surprises. CFB is more fun on the field than the NFL.

UFC’s Vegas Sphere Fight Should Set Records

The MMA fight has big aspirations and a budget to match.
August 13, 2024

Duael’s One-On-One Racing Brackets Are Yet Another Stab at Saving Track

Duael will debut in March 2025 with the inaugural Duael 100.
September 8, 2024

Guardian Caps Make NFL Debut

Multiple NFL players wore Guardian Caps over their helmets Sunday.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
August 11, 2024

Guardian Caps Have Arrived in the NFL—Ahead of Schedule

Colts star Jonathan Taylor strapped one on for Sunday’s preseason game.
August 5, 2024

How Omega Timing Determined Noah Lyles Won Olympic Gold

Omega touches every corner of the Olympics.
The Adidas ball has changed over the years.
July 25, 2023

The Most Advanced Tech at the Women’s World Cup Might Surprise You

This year’s OCEAUNZ introduces connected ball technology to the women’s game.
Sponsored

Rewriting the Sports Media Playbook

WSC’s highlight automation improved Clemson’s content strategy and overall growth.